Twist

Updating the classics has always been a double edged sword. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. In this adaptation Dicken's novel is transported to modern London with street smart kids working for an irrascible Fagin played by Michael Caine. Large chunks are missed out of the original and characters are adjusted. Sykes is a woman and Nancy is the same age as Oliver. Taken as a stand alone this movie is not a bad effort. Some of the running over London's rooftops is good fun. Where the movie suffers is in continuity. Where are we in Dickens script.....or otherwise. But the only real problem is the portrayal of Sykes. Playing him as a Lesbian woman is quite a good idea but she is just not nasty enough. Mean in spirit, action and words but really just another thug with a gun. Sykes in the book or portrayed by Reed was a vicious bully but also a very complicated charactacter. This new Sykes tries to be nasty but comes across as flat and one dimentional. I enjoyed the movie, especially the portrayal of a modern street gang, but all seriously lacking the guts of the original.

Other reviews have criticised Twist for being a Parkour film. I would say that this is its only redeeming feature. It would be wrong to call all of the acting "wooden" but the overall standard is very low and Rita Ora must know this is not her strong suit. The references to Twist, Dodge, Fagin and Sykes just remind you that you could be watching a much (much) better film. The dialogue is clumsy and mechanical, with youth references crowbarred in with unintended comedic consequences. But some of the running and jumping is very good!

Liked the idea of Oliver Twist being set in modern times, but this is poorly executed. The makers have tried way too hard to be gritty and street, so much so that it's like a parody of gangsta films. I mean, David Walliams makes an appearance for goodness sake. Throwing in a soundtrack featuring 90's Brit bands doesn't make it edgy either. Weak storyline, poor acting and unconvincing 'criminals' With the likes of Headey and Caine in it, it really should have been better.

Don't know who the target audience was but this felt very 'teenager' orientated. Has some big names but some mediocre acting. It was just neither something original, nor clever, using ideas that have been down before. Just kind of bland, really. Loved Headey in GOT but not at all in this. Hope she doesn't end up doing crap like this. Just didn't really care for it. Was mostly bored. Had higher expectations.

I can honestly say this movie was hard to sit through. I started to get headaches from the running and jumping scenes that added very little to the movie. Michael Caine was also awful. It's like he took the easy money then put in no effort. Then again there wasn't much to put effort towards. I'll be honest, most of the acting here was awful from Caine to Ora to Headley. Only Noel Clarke worked. Give this a miss. Another Sky production that fails to be worth it.